Ray offered no response, following Willem's lead without a word. Willem noticed the strained atmosphere and smiled slightly to himself.
'It must feel awkward. A knight rising to a position above his lord; it's inevitable that they can't maintain the same relationship as before,' he thought.
No matter how strong their bond, the reality was undeniable. Surely, a lord would feel jealousy toward his knight, and a knight would gain insight into the perspective of a ruler. Once that realization set in, they could never return to their former relationship.
'The only one here with any political acumen is that young Corleone upstart. All I have to do is create a rift between him and the Count.'